The Santa Cruz County, Arizona, county attorney has decided it will not retry a 75-year-old rancher after a mistrial on charges of manslaughter. Deputy County Attorney Kimberly Hurley notified Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink of the decision Monday. “Because of the unique circumstances and challenges surrounding this case, the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office has decided not to seek a retrial.
George Alan Kelly was charged with second-degree murder in the January 30, 2023, shooting of Mexican national Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, who was with a group of illegal immigrants trespassing on Kelly’s ranch. On Monday, a jury of five men and three women deliberated for 16 hours before informing Judge Fink they were deadlocked. The vote was 7-1 for acquittal.
Kelly had earlier turned down a plea deal that would have resulted in a conviction for one count of negligent homicide.
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